


Mileven Week: Long-Distance

by OTTSTF



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Mileven Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-08-19 12:22:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16534487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OTTSTF/pseuds/OTTSTF
Summary: Sure, it's nice being able to visit your boyfriend in the void whenever you please.But it'd be a lot nicer if he could hear what you were saying, too.





	Mileven Week: Long-Distance

**Author's Note:**

> How in the ever-living Duffer did I manage to bash this out in under three hours?  
> How did I manage _at all_?  
> Maybe Mileven week is the answer to my writer's block.  
> :O

Vacations.

Mike used to love them. Every kid does.   
Sure, he kinda needs one, considering the hell he’s been through.  
He _would_ be happy right now. But that’s not possible when being on vacation means one horrible thing…

Being many,  _many_ miles away from El.

What’s worse?  
SuperComs don’t exactly reach that far.  
And phone calls? Don’t get his parents started. They cost fortunes from this distance. One call to El was all he was allowed, and as much as he fought against the need, he'd used that within the first week,

So he has a choice.  
_Well._ He _thought_ he had a choice.

Either survive the struggle of not communicating with El in any way, shape, or form for an entire month, or put up with El stressing herself to see him in the void, where she's been trying very hard to establish bi-directional communication. So far, no such luck.

He'd practically begged her to not stress herself out, but, in El's words, what he needs to realise is that this month is painful for her, too. So she'd dismissed his pleas and made it clear that she _will_ be visiting him at the hour they'd agreed: 09:30PM in his time zone. She'd visit for as long as she could manage every night, which, as one might expect, becomes longer as she continues to use her ability.

Mike would use the time to tell her about the day's activities – where he went, what he did, who he'd seen and how much he wished she was with him.

He had begged his parents to allow her to join them, but every time he'd tried to bring it up, they'd shut him straight down.

“Mike, I know you love her, and I know this will be difficult for you both, but this is a _family_ vacation. We're going to see family; it's not like we're going to Disney Land.” his mother insists. “If we _were_ , I promise you, we'd take El. But we aren't. We're visiting family.”

As much as Mike understood their point, he still found it unfair. El, of all of them, deserved a vacation the most. So what if it's a family visit? He's sure that they'd love her.  
But, parents always have the deciding word, which is why he's here, without her.

Every night, she'd try talking to him during her visit. So far, the closest they've gotten is Mike being pretty confident in noticing El's presence. Three days in a row, his gaze would suddenly snap directly to her, and he's starting to trust his instinct.

Tonight, El has an idea which she hopes will allow Mike to hear her. Glancing to the clock nearly every five minutes, she eagerly awaits the time they both look forward too all day. Thankfully, the clock is currently blinking 21:24.

“Hey, kid.” her door is knocked alongside the voice of her father.

“Yeah?” she calls, letting him know he can enter.

Letting the door swing open slowly, Hopper walks in, holding a mug of what smells absolutely beautiful to her. As he comes to her side, he hands it out to her, which allows her to see the dark chocolatey liquid inside. One of her favourite beverages since being served it by Joyce the morning after closing the gate.

“Get some of that in you before you go visiting that boyfriend of yours, yeah?” he smirks as El smiles softly.  
“No point in going in if you're just gonna get tired a minute in.” he adds.

“Thanks, dad.” she smiles wide, loving the support he gives her, especially now.

“Don't mention it, kid. Good luck.” he wishes her, knowing of her attempts to send her voice. Nodding her head, once Hopper is gone and her door is closed again, she takes a sip of her drink, smiling once the taste hits her tongue.

Prepping her radio and retrieving the blindfold, she checks the clock once again: 21:26. _Seriously? Does this thing never move?_

Sighing, fed up of waiting, she wraps the blindfold around her head and focuses on the face she'll never forget, and as if permanently bonded, it doesn't take two seconds before she hears him and some other voices mixed in.

She approaches, seeing him in some Star Wars pajamas, sat on a sofa with Holly laying her head in his lap. She sighs – she misses being able to do that with him, although she's not about to feel jealous towards his _little sister_.

And already, as if he'd heard the sigh, his attention snaps to her. Obviously, he cannot genuinely see her, but his eyes are directed straight at hers as she stands in front of him.

“You're early.” he whispers, causing her to grin widely; he's getting to know the feeling he gets when she's around, and it's a fantastic feeling when he does notice her.

The sudden voice from Mike causes Holly's head to snap up, as she looks around. Finding nobody that he could be talking to, she asks,

“Ellie here to listen to you again?”

Mike looks down to his little sister, and with a smile, nods her head, which Holly takes as her cue to free him. “Tell her I said hi!”

“I think she just heard you, Hols.” he smirks, raising up to retreat to his bedroom.

Sitting onto his bed, he stares straight forward, closing his eyes for a moment, relaxing, and then turns his head towards her.

“Hey El.” he opens his eyes, smiling.  
“I think you're getting close to letting me hear you.” he comments. “I think I heard something, like a sigh?”

El can't help but smile as he says this – it reminds her of the idea she'd had. And so, once he's done talking of his day, when he finally says the magic words.

“Well, El, I've got nothing else, so if you want to try talking, go ahead. I'm trying to listen.”  
And with that, he's closed his eyes, relaxing, breathing slowly, as if trying to clear his mind. In all seriousness, El figures this could probably help.

Her idea this time is to focus more on Mike, try to get into his head, more than just talk in front of him.

So, taking a deep breath, she does exactly that. As if trying to force a link between them, she focuses, directing all her power toward Mike.

For a moment, it seems as if nothing is happening. She's about to call it quits, leave it for another day, before Mike suddenly flinches, taking his head into his hands as he lets out a small pained moan.

“Mike!?” she panics, going to reach for him before slamming the breaks on her movement – any closer and he'd probably vanish into a cloud of smoke.

It's then that he suddenly glances back up, directly at her again, with a shocked expression.

“El… do that again. Say something.”

Not exactly _wanting_ to do that again if it hurts, she sighs and nods, doing exactly as before. Focusing, talking.

“Mike?” she tries. “Mike, can you-”

He suddenly hisses, a hand going to his forehead again, but he ignores it and keeps his gaze towards her direction.

“Can you hear me?” she tries one last time, and to her shock, amazement, and relief, he begins to smile.

“El, I think… I think I can.”

She gasps, continuing to drive her focus towards him as she speaks again.

“Does it hurt? I don't want to do this if it huts you.”

He _laughs,_ surprising her, before shaking his head whilst he grins like a fool.  
“El, I'd go through anything to hear your voice.”

That has her smiling, not only for what he'd said, but in the excitement that comes as he genuinely _can_ hear her.

“And… I mean, it doesn't really hurt now. It's kinda like a headache, just with a big hit when you first start talking.”

“Are you sure?” she asks, constantly worried that the connection may break any time soon.

“I promise, El.” he nods. “How're you doing this, then? What're you doing different?” he asks excitedly.

“I thought, if I focused on you, instead of just talking, it might help. I'm kinda… doing what I'd do if I wanted to pick you up.” she says.

He nods in understanding, smirking. “As long as you don't go squeezing my brain too night, I think you're a genius, El.”

She laughs, shaking her head. “How well can you hear me? Is it easy?”

“It's… _weird._ Like how you think to yourself. You don't… _hear_ it, but you still do? It's hard to explain.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” she agrees, suddenly wondering _how_ that even works.

He huffs a small laugh. “El, this is awesome.” he comments, smiling wide.  
“Maybe now, I can put up with the rest of this vacation.”

“Good!” she nods happily. “Enjoy yourself, Mike. You're seeing your family.”

“I'd still much rather see you, though.” he says, earning a small shy smile and head duck from her.

“Me too.” she agrees.

He sighs, nodding his head, before coming to the conclusion.

“Anyway, El, I don't want you to completely burn yourself out, so I think we should call it here.”

She sighs, eventually nodding. “Yeah, I agree.”

“At least tomorrow, we can jump into doing this straight away. Is it easy?”

“It's harder than just listening to you, but I can put up with it.”

He smirks. “Of course you can. You're my superhero.”

She laughs again, shaking her head at his words.  
Calming down, she wishes she could give him a small kiss, but instead holds herself back.  
“Goodnight, Mike.”

“Goodnight, El.” he echos. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” she sighs.

With that, he slowly rises from the bed again, heading back to his family. Although he can still feel her watching him from where she's been sat on the bed, he knows that if he doesn't just walk away, they'll never manage to stop.

There's no need for El to tire herself out in one go when they've got every night to look forward to, even more so now that he can hear her, too.

Perhaps this vacation won't turn out so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> This turned out a _lot_ longer than I ever expected it to.  
> Please, feed me your comments, you absolutely beautiful people. I love every single one of you and you know that. ♥


End file.
